LITHUANIA
Vasaknos can offer products packaged in modiďŹ ed atmosphere or vacuum
Smoked products replace live ďŹ sh A fish farming company growing rainbow trout and sturgeon has invested in a processing plant through a fisheries local action group. Now, sales of live fish are being replaced with more value-added products in response to changes in consumer demand. The Zarasai district in eastern Lithuania along the border with Latvia is known as Lithuania’s lake district with over 300 lakes and ponds and eight rivers. Four of the country’s biggest lakes are in the district as well as 20 man-made water bodies contributing to a total water surface in the district of 166 sq. km. The abundant water is reflected in the diversity of aquatic life found in Zarasai. In terms of fish, 28 species inhabit the water bodies in the district. The abundance of water has made Zarasai an optimal site for the fish farming company Vasaknos, which draws water from one of the rivers to breed two species, rainbow trout and sturgeon.
More value addition and greater product variety Vasaknos has been rearing these species for many years, says Algirdas Siukscius, the director, taking water from the river using it on the farm and finally returning it to the river again. Like most fish farms in Lithuania the production was sold live for local consumption until the European Fisheries Fund, the forerunner to the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, offered a route to a greater variety of products with a higher degree of value addition through its support for Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs). These groups brought together representatives from companies, NGOs, local administrations, and other interested parties to formulate a development plan 38
Eurofish Magazine 4 / 2015
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for the area that included concrete measures to improve the local economy. Under this programme, Vasaknos, as a member of the Zarasai and Visaginas region FLAG, implemented two projects. We decided to put up a small processing line, says Mr Siukscius, to fillet the fish, as well as installing equipment to package and freeze it. Although it is the most important company in the region, with over 40 employees, Vasaknos could not get support for its expansion plans unless it was part of the FLAG. For the FLAG the projects were interesting because they boosted employment in the region, which was one of the ambitions of the FLAG strategy. The company
Algirdas Siukscius, Director of Vasaknos
The company has a shop on site where it sells fresh fish and smoked products. www.eurofishmagazine.com